


the wrong name

by onthighsbelongtotaemin



Category: SHINee
Genre: Fluff, Humor, M/M, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-12
Updated: 2016-12-12
Packaged: 2018-09-08 03:36:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,263
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8828809
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/onthighsbelongtotaemin/pseuds/onthighsbelongtotaemin
Summary: taemin has the name of his soul mate on his wrist & the name of his boyfriend on his lips





	

taemin yelped, grabbing his wrist that suddenly burned.  he stepped quickly out of the crowded sidewalk & pressed himself against the choppy brick of a random storefront.  he started to move his hand away but stopped, the magnitude of what could potentially be the cause of his pain a little too much to bear alone in a sea of strangers on a tuesday afternoon.  

he was trying to figure out how to call kibum to have him talk him through it without accidentally looking at his wrist when he was joined abruptly by another man also grabbing his wrist & looking quite pale.

they eyed each other, taemin warily & the other with an accusing glare.

“fucking bees.”, he said, pulling up his sleeve & rubbing at the bright red welt just above his palm.  “do you know where i could get some ice around here?”  disappointed, taemin points to the corner market just up the street & nods his head as the man says “thanks” & heads up the sidewalk, muttering obscenities & cradling his wrist.

alone, taemin tries to think of how he can pull his phone out to call kibum without revealing what’s imprinted on his wrist.  he doesn’t want to see the name, not yet, he’s not ready for his entire world to be flipped upside down when he’s only out in it because his brother needed him for a double date.

fucking jonghyun.  he snickers. nah, that’s his brother’s job.

he presses his wrist against his thigh & pulls his phone out of his pocket.  

“what?”

“i just met my soul mate.”

“whoa.”

“yeah.”

“what’s he look like?”

“no idea.”

“ok…”

“all i know is that i was walking down the sidewalk & suddenly my wrist burned & there’s writing there & the other guy got stung by a bee & i can’t look yet.”

“your soul mate got stung by a bee?”

“no, the guy got stung by a bee.”

“ok…  so how long are you going to not know your soul mate’s name?”

“as long as possible.”

“what if you meet them?”

“they’ll know my name.  it’ll be fine.”

“what if they don’t look either?”

“…fuck.”

“yeah.”

“lee jinki.”

“what a…unique name.”

“shut up.”

jonghyun’s friend is gorgeous & weird & taemin’s covering the name on his wrist with a bracelet.  he’s wearing a long sleeve shirt that’s just a bit too tight & jeans that are making his palms sweat.  jonghyun introduces him as “onew” & minho introduces taemin as “minnie” & taemin’s too infatuated with onew’s lips to be irritated or correct him.  his brother & his boyfriend don’t even pretend that this isn’t a set-up, ordering a plate to share & leaving within twenty minutes of everyone’s arrival.  he’d be more upset if onew’s amused smile wasn’t making his chest warm.  and his laugh.  taemin takes a deep breath.

“well…i guess it’s just us.”  taemin’s nervous laugh makes his ears burn & he hopes it doesn’t sound as weak to onew’s ears.

“do you wanna…get dessert?  or go somewhere else?  just leave?”

“no!”  onew blinks at him & smiles in amusement & taemin doesn’t care how desperate he sounds because he really is.

“i mean…we’re already here.  & they clearly think we’d do well together.  so…let’s just talk & find out if they’re right.”  it sounds so stupid but onew’s nodding & asking if they should order dessert.  they do.

three hours after they were abandoned, onew & taemin are laughing at an anecdote about jonghyun that taemin files away to make use for in the future.  their waiter has stopped asking if there’s anything else they need, his pointed tone ignored by the two men enjoying each other’s company (though onew makes sure to leave a big tip).  they neither of them want the date to end, leaving the restaurant & walking through the streets, enjoying the crisp autumn air & an easy conversation that never seems to quit.  they learn that they both like to sing & hate cucumbers, horror movies are great & roller coasters are better.  bungee jumping is something they’ve both done & would like to do again, & that taemin is a lot younger than onew than he thought.  

it’s dark when they reach taemin’s door & he wants to kiss onew but his step forward stops abruptly when onew looks down & pulls out his phone, asking taemin for his number.  after typing it in, he lifts it up & shows how he’s listed him as “minnie” in his phone, laughing when taemin pouts & demands that he change it to something better.  onew bends over with laughter, showing taemin how “pouty taem” had been auto corrected to “poop taem” & he’s too entranced with onew’s laugh to even care. & this time when he steps forward he’s met with soft lips & a kiss that leaves him giggling into his sleep.

they text & talk, hang out & make out.  both just roll their eyes at the proud smiles & “told you you’d like him” that jonghyun & minho send their way.  it’s wonderful & fun, easy & smooth, but there’s a sliver of a distance between them because taemin has another man’s name on his wrist.  he keeps it hidden under heavy bracelets & a smile & hopes that he & lee jinki never meet.

 they’re on onew’s bed & taemin’s sighing as onew’s lips pay homage to the skin covering his neck & chest.  it’s exquisite & right, it feels so right, & when onew’s mouth makes his toes curl his fingers card through the other’s auburn locks & he murmurs, “onew”.

“jinki.”  the word sounds familiar but taemin’s only half aware that onew’s said anything.

“hmm?”

“jinki.”, he says, moving up to kiss taemin on the nose, his hands braced at his ribs.  “if you’re going to moan my name it’s jinki.”  he moves back down to kiss at taemin’s collarbone when taemin suddenly remembers why that word sounds so familiar.  he pushes onew…jinki up & stares at him wide eyed.

“your name is jinki?!”  onew…jinki just chuckles.

“yeah, i know.  you can see why i prefer onew.”  taemin’s heart is beating in his chest & he licks his lips.

“when’s your birthday?”  onew’s…jinki’s still watching him with a smile, wiggling his eyebrows.

“why, do you want to get me a present?”

“i’m serious.”  he sees the moment it clicks in onew’s…jinki’s head, what he’s actually asking him.  he answers before the other can.  “mine’s july 18th.”  onew…jinki pushes up & kneels over taemin’s legs, running his fingers through his hair.

“wait…minho’s name is ‘choi’…”

“half-brothers.  same mom, different dad.”

“oh.”  he’s turned away, his eyes on the floor & his eyebrows scrunched up in confusion.

“are you…disappointed?”

“a little.”

“oh.”  he looks back over at taemin, at the crestfallen look in the other’s eyes.

“no, not that it’s you.  just…i felt so guilty, you know?  soul mate branding on the same day i meet this great guy & it just…it felt kind of weird.  you’re so perfect & i’m in love with you & i couldn’t imagine it being any better.”

“i love you too.”  he smiles, that damn smile that makes taemin’s chest warm.

“yeah?”

“yeah.  well”, he says, peeling off his shirt & smiling down at his wrist.  “i guess i don’t have to hide this anymore.”  taemin laughs & pulls off the bracelets he’s been wearing for weeks & they eye each other’s names & birth dates imprinted on their skin.  

jinki’s still kneeling near the foot of the bed & smiling, only now it’s mischievous & he’s cocking an eyebrow.

“so you love me, huh?  how much?”

“come over here & i’ll show you.”  he giggles as jinki tickles his way back up to his mouth, pressing his hands against taemin’s sides until they’re laughing into each other’s mouths.


End file.
